Just Numbers

Opinion - Reader Views

November 26, 2001

Thomas Friedman's column about Indian Muslims made interesting reading. If you look at any indices concerning government jobs, military, education, business, human-resource development, etc., you will find them at the bottom, just like other minorities.

Indian Muslims may be the second-largest Muslim population after Indonesia, but they are just numbers, period. I say this because 150 million people should be able to do something when their Muslim brothers and sisters are being killed in Kashmir. According to conservative estimates, at least 50,000 have been slain.

When historical Babri Mosque was destroyed by Hindu fanatics, approximately 12,000 Muslims were also killed. Those responsible for this crime have gone scot-free. And, if you start counting all the Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Dalits (Untouchables) killed in the past 50 years, this democracy would make one of the largest killing fields. But then again it has the best alibi for its crimes: democracy.

The famous Mexican Pancho Villa said, "I would rather die standing on my feet, than be free kneeling down." The Indian Muslims have chosen the latter.